The present invention relates in general to devices for pest control and, more particularly, to a bait holder and a trap for pests.
It has been a common practice to employ bait to kill garden variety of insects. Such bait was in the form of granules, compressed pellets and liquid. Bait for insects were commonly dispersed at the edge of planting areas and among bushes. This procedure presented various problems, namely:
1. Rain, high humidity, and watering reduced the effectiveness of the poisonous bait;
2. It is not desirable to dispose or distribute the poisonous bait during significant winds;
3. The poisonous bait may harm pets and desired wildlife that may be attracted to the bait; and
4. The poisonous bait is usually water soluable and, perhaps, presents a potential environmental problem.
In the U.S. patent to Dyer et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,912, issued on Aug. 9, 1988, for Snail Trap, there is disclosed a trap for snails and slugs. The trap includes a pan-shaped lower vessel and a pan-shaped upper vessel, which form a bait chamber. The base has a central upwardly extending support defining a receptacle for the bait. Snails and slugs can crawl over an annular wall, through a gap and into a concealed poison chamber.
The U.S. patent to Zalesky, U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,230, issued on May 31, 1988, for Slug Trap, discloses a lower vessel and an upper vessel to form a bait chamber. The upper vessel is releasably attached to the lower vessel by a latching arrangement on diametrically opposite sides of the vessels. The upper vessel shields the bait chamber from rain. The upper vessel extends beyond the perimeter of the bait chamber for making the trap resistant to overturning by animals and wind. An annular extending lip provides a ramp for facilitating the ingress of slugs into the bait chamber.
The U.S. patent to Eichmuller et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,328,637, issued on May 11, 1982, for Snail Trap, discloses a snail trap. The snail trap comprises a pan having a perforated bottom, which seats on the bottom of a snail trap container. An upwardly extending handle of the pan carries a cover and supports it above the open top of the container to serve as a rain shield. The collecting pan is removable from the chamber.
In the U.S. patent to Demarest, U.S. Pat. No. 4,837,969, issued. on Jun. 13, 1989, for Bait Station, there is disclosed an insect bait station. The insect bait station includes an apertured, multi-lobed cover, which is fitted over a base having a central bait well. The central bait well is formed by a ramp structure and inner walls intersecting the ramp structure. An insect travels over the ramp structure to reach the well.
The U.S. patent to Baker et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,584, granted on Mar. 27, 1984, for Trap For Rats, Mice, And Other Vermin discloses an adhesive trap for mice and insects using a pressure sensitive adhesive. A tray has a central indentation into which molten adhesive is poured. The adhesive thickens to provide a tacky layer which will trap, by self-adhesion, vermin coming into contact therewith.
In the patent to Demarest et al., No. 5,033,229, issued on Jul. 23, 1991, for Liquid Delivery Bait Station, there is disclosed a bait station for the control of insects. A base structure for the bait station has a ramped structure around its circumference that defines a central well area. Rising from the ramped structure are a plurality of support walls which support the reservoir portion and define access openings to the central well area. Between the reservoir and the base structure is an absorbent fibrous pad configured to fit within and on the bottom of the central well area.
In the patent to Von Kohorn et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,767, issued on May 19, 1987, there is disclosed a dispenser comprising a laminated article. The laminated article comprises one or more layers containing active pest control and pest attractant substances. The pest controlling substance within the laminate surfaces on the laminate.
In a pending application filed by Bridget M. Miller and Albert Miller, Ser. No. 08/452,978, filed on May 30, 1995, for Snail Bait Holder And Snail Trap, there is disclosed a snail bait holder and snail trap. The snail bait holder and snail trap has a vessel and a cover which form a snail bait holding chamber. Disposed within the snail bait holding chamber is a laminated disc for supporting the snail bait. An upper layer of the laminated disc is made of a liquid absorbent material on which is deposited a slurry of snail bait. A lower layer of the laminated disc is made of a non-absorbent, flexible material so that mounds of snail bait are disposed on the upper layer. The vessel has an upwardly directed wall which is cut out to form openings. The cutout sections of the wall are bent outwardly and downwardly to form a ramp over which a snail travels to enter the snail bait holding chamber. The assignee of the present application is also the assignee of the pending application Ser. No. 08/452,978.